This was a short, fast-paced thriller that hooked me right away. The story is about Ellie, a senior in high school, who gets kidnapped and makes it out alive. Fast forward 20 years, her daughter has been kidnapped under familiar circumstances.

The book’s synopsis was a little misleading. I thought the story was going to be about Ellie’s daughter’s kidnapping, but that did not occur until about 70% in. A lot of the book was the buildup to Ellie’s kidnapping when she was in high school. I found it interesting, but do wish there was more time spent on Ellie’s story in the basement. I would have read another 50 or so pages with that included. Overall, I loved the setting of this book as a Philadelphia native and I recommend this book to thriller readers, especially new thriller readers!

This book keeps you on the edge of your seat right from the start! Keeps you guessing right until the end. You definitely need to put this on your to read list.

This book was very misleading. It reads completely like a YA thriller. This isn't always bad but with this book it didn't hit the mark. So much unnecessary information. This was a DNF for me. If you are a fan of YA thrillers then this might be something you would love.

★★★/5

I enjoyed this one, and it kept me turning the pages. I actually binged it in a few hours
However, the story read more like a young adult, which isn't a bad thing, but not what I was looking for in the moment.

I applaud the author, who is a best-selling historical fiction writer, with multiple series under his belt.
This was his first attempt at writing a thriller and should be commended for his efforts.

There is a lot of backstory and great characterization
I was invested in the characters enough to care about them, especially Ellie, who was quite interesting. But the kidnapping felt like an afterthought instead of the focus, which the title and prologue suggested.

I sincerely hope the author will continue to write more thriller as I can see plenty of potential if given the chance.

Overall , it was a good story, and I would highly recommend it to a young adult audience.

The girl in the basement:
At seventeen, Ellie was kidnapped after being seen with the star quarterback at a party. Twenty years later, her seventeen year old daughter Jess is missing. Ellie needs to untangle the web of secrets from her past in order to save her daughter.
This spine-chilling mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy

I enjoyed this book and think this was a great first attempt at a psychological thriller. It started off a bit slow for me and seemed to drag on, but I persevered and thoroughly enjoyed it once I got to about 50%. I pretty much had it figured out, but there are some surprises along the way with a few twists and turns. I love the author’s writing style and his ability to draw me in.

Parts of the book felt like it was more suited for a teen or young adult reader, but I’m also aware that it might just be me adjusting from reading heavy WW2 novels – sometimes it takes me a few chapters to click with a different genre. I have read a few of Eoin’s WW2 novels, and I have every faith in his ability to nail this genre as well.

Overall, an easy read and I would recommend it to those who enjoy a lighter thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and Eoin Dempsey for a digital arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I enjoyed this book, particularly the final 30% as well as the section focusing on ellie’s past kidnapping. I wasn’t as interested in the other parts but this might have been because those I mentioned were so exciting. I thought the section where Ellie is in the basement (as per the title) is gripping and I was eager to find out what happened to her. It did move on a little quickly, for me, and could have perhaps had more depth.

I really enjoyed the final section of this book as the storyline really picks up pace and there are plenty of twists and turns and dramatic events which will keep you guessing and unable to put the book down.

The ending was satisfying to me and I enjoyed the epilogue section, which I thought rounded off the story very well. I also loved Ellie and Jessica’s close bond! Definitely worth a read.

This book I thought I had figured out right away. Turns out I didn’t see the twist coming still in shock at the outcome. If you’re looking for a quick fast paced book this is for you…..

Okay, the title of the book is very misleading. It doesn’t even get to the point of what the synopsis says until 70% into the book. The pace of the book was really slow. I spent more time wondering when the author was going to get to the point. I was really disappointed by this book. Thank you for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC copy

Not too sure about the title of this book as the title references only a very minute part of the story. It is actually quite misleading.
That being said, it was quite a strange arrangement regardless of the title.
Majority of the book was fluff and chaff. Almost boring to a degree. Timelines all over the place, pacing like a rollercoaster and the ‘who done it’ was actually quite easy to figure out if you’ve read enough mysteries.

One last thing, the revenge seeking secret family member, is not new and has been done so many times before.

Not my cup of tea unfortunately

This book gave me chills! I binged it within a day and I couldn’t put it down! The writing was so well done major kudos! Strong recommended!

This didn't hit the spot with me at all. It took so long to get to the point of the story that I gave up. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

"Twenty years ago she was taken. Now her daughter is next."

If you tell me this book is about a girl being kidnapped and held in a basement, I expect that to be the main focus. However, "The Girl in the Basement" takes 53% of the book to actually get to the basement. There's not even really any anticipation in this book - no thrills, no mystery, just a weird storyline with an inconsistent plot.

This book is not good: unrealistic and devoid of thrills. The timeline of "twenty years later" doesn't add up at points, and the story is super predictable—I guessed the identity of the unhinged kidnapper/murderer at their first introduction. There are odd anecdotes, like the unnecessary gun range scenes, and way too much focus on football. When I'm promised dingy basement horrors, I don’t need to read about a high school boyfriend trying to make it to the NFL. Also, "The Voiceless One" ends up being one of the lamest bad guy names I’ve ever encountered.

"The Girl in the Basement" reads more like a YA novel, with much of it focusing on the main character's high school romance, making it feel more like a romance than a psychological thriller. The writing is chaotic, with multiple inconsistencies, and it lacks depth and research.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and Eoin Dempsey for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went in to this book not knowing what to expect from the author. They definitely delivered with this one! I loved it. I am from Lancaster and know all the places she was talking about right down to the diner. I loved the twist and did not have who did it figured out. I look forward to reading more by her.

Decent but kinda boring. I felt like it was missing some humanity. It needs more personal touch but overall good book.

The Girl In The Basement is a different style of novel for Eoin Dempsey, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I finished this book in one sitting as I just could not put it down. 4.5 stars out of 5 from me ⭐️

An absolute belter of a storyline. I absolutely loved it. I was hooked from the start right through to the end. I've reccomended it to my book club friends.

The Girl in the Basement by Eoin Dempsey is a young adult thriller about broken dreams and revenge.
This is a story about dreams. Yours or your parents? Who knows.

There are two sides to all stories one - the reality and the one you want to believe!
When 17-year-old Ellie met a new student, rising football star Josh she fell in love! She didn't listen to the rumour that he kiIIed his previous girlfriend, she didn't believe what people were talking about. Sometimes, when your gut instinct says RUN - just run!

If I am ignoring the name of this book this is a solid 4-star story!

Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this story!

Thank you NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and Eoin Dempsey for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a debut psychological thriller from Eoin Dempsey. I’d definitely class it as a slow burn despite it being quite a short novel, and a lot of action is packed into the last 30%. That last part was enjoyable with a not so obvious twist, I just wish it was more fleshed out and not rushed!

I really wanted to love this book and I’m a sucker for books with these kind of titles! Unfortunately, I found the writing to be repetitive and lacking some depth. I would argue that this was much more of a YA mystery than an adult thriller.

Most of the story is following Ellie and Josh in high school, with an incredibly heavy focus on Josh’s football career. I honestly felt a bit misled by the synopsis as Ellie wasn’t actually kidnapped until over halfway through the book, instead I spent over 100 pages reading play-by-plays of American football games. If you’re a sport fan, this might be of interest but I’m just not one 🤷🏻‍♀️. I would maybe have found this okay if it had been relevant, but it literally wasn’t necessary for the plot at all. I have seen some really good reviews so maybe this is just little old me from the UK not understanding the hype 🫢.

There is definitely room for improvement in terms of pacing as the overly detailed football games took over 14 chapters and the kidnapping of Ellie lasted a mere 2 before we had a 20 year time jump. I really wanted more from this, especially when I thought the twist was decent in the end (I managed to guess the whole but not the why in the end)!

Supposedly a thriller written for adults, this book turned out to be mostly a romance for the teen set. Ellie is a high school student smitten with the new football hero, Josh, who moved from another team and school after his former girlfriend was murdered. Lots of high school ish details. Lots of family drama. Josh’s father is mean and weird. Nothing had much depth and the character depiction was flat. I felt for nobody.

Ellie is abducted. Josh’s father seems guilty. Years later, while Josh’s father is still in prison, Ellie’s daughter goes missing. I tried to care. I didn’t. The ending comes quickly with lots of schmaltzy words. I didn’t care then either. Sorry but this book just wasn’t for me. I kept thinking it would turn around and waited for the Aha! Moment ! that never arrived. Two tiny stars for a book you might like better than I did. I suspect a YA audience would be a more appropriate target. It will be available on July 30, 2024. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.